Ductile chord connectors for use in concrete rods in structures

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are connectors for use in assembling reinforced concrete structures, as well as methods of assembly using the connectors. In one embodiment, the connectors and methods provide for secure and easy connection to the butt end of any rebar rod, as well as attachment of an opposite end to another metal structure. For example, a butt portion of a connector slides over the butt portion of a rebar rod, and can include one or more sidewall openings to allow welding onto rebar that is enclosed within the butt portion of the connector. The opposite second end can include a faceplate for attaching a weld plate, thus permitting a series of connections using connectors and weld plates, among other things. The connectors provide selected properties that differ from the rebar, welds, and weld plates, such as stretch, yield strength, ultimate strength, and transfer of stress and vibration, among other things.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/537,216 filed Sep. 21, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to connectors for use in construction ofbuildings, highways, and other heavy structures, and more particularlyto ductile chord connectors for use in connecting structural andreinforcing rods in construction, such as in precast concreteassemblies, as well as to connect the terminal ends of rods in andbetween any structures.

Typically, concrete structures include reinforcing elements, such assteel rods, commonly referred to as “rebar”. Increasingly, structuresare being assembled using precast, reinforced such as with metalreinforcing bar, also known as “rebar”) concrete modular assemblies.Such precast assemblies are typically connected to one another byembedding steel plates in the precast component and welding the adjacentembeds together when (or after) the precast pieces are installed next toeach other. Existing embeds are fabricated from steel plates welded torebar. These connections do not provide desirable flexibility anddesired movement between and am on the precast structures. For example,continuous precast highway bridge sections must be permitted to stretchwhile maintaining integrity under thermal variations as the precastelements expand and contract over the day and the year. Similarly,reinforced concrete and precast concrete building assemblies aresubjected to wind sway, weight of building contents, and must also beable to move or bend while supporting the load. Additionally, naturallyoccurring forces, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, exacerbatethe load forces on and between precast structure subassemblies. Knownconnection, assemblies, such as the welded plate and rebar jointassemblies previously described herein, fail in a brittle manner in suchconditions. Moreover, the failure of known connection assembliesinflicts undesired damage to the surrounding concrete, rebar and othercomponents of concrete and precast concrete assemblies. Indeed, thevariability in known connection assemblies, including the welding, weldplate, and rebar, as well as field assembly variability, makes thefailure point of known connection assemblies unpredictable,uncontrolled, and even dangerous.

For all these reasons, there exists a continuing need for connectors foruse in joining reinforced concrete assemblies, whether field cast orprecast, as well as for connecting steel rods in any constructionenvironment to overcome the disadvantages of the known prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction withthe appended drawing figures wherein like numerals denote like elements.

FIG. 1a is component side view of a chord connecter in one embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a dimensioned side view of a chord connecter in oneembodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chord connecter and rebar and portionof the weld plate assembly in one embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two opposed chord connecters adjoined torebar and weld plate assemblies in one embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two axially aligned adjacent chordconnecters adjoined to rebar and weld plate assemblies in one embodimentin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connector with a sheath assembly inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a series ofopposed connectors and axially aligned adjacent connectors in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph depicting properties of construction materialscompatible with the connectors and methods of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph depicting properties of additional constructionmaterials compatible with the connectors and methods of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a graph depicting performance properties of connectors andassemblies in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a graph depicting the designed yield locations and materialsin a preferred embodiment of the connector of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the alignment of faceplates and weld plates(“slugs”) in accordance with the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided herein are connectors for use in assembling reinforced concretestructures, as well as methods of assembly using the connectors. In oneembodiment, the connectors and methods provide for secure and easyconnection to the butt end of any rebar rod, as well as attachment of anopposite end to another metal structure. For example, a butt portion ofa connector slides over the butt portion of a rebar rod, and can includeone or more sidewall openings to allow welding onto rebar that isenclosed within the butt portion of the connector. The opposite secondend can include as faceplate for attaching a weld plate, thus permittinga series of connections using connectors and weld plates, among otherthings. The connectors provide selected properties that differ from therebar, welds, and weld plates, such as stretch, yield strength, ultimatestrength, and transfer of stress and vibration, among other things.

In one embodiment, a connector is provided for joining two rods in astructure, such as in a metal reinforced concrete structure. In anexample, the connector comprises a sidewall forming a first tube end,the first tube end having a first opening configured for receiving andsecuring the terminal end of a first reinforcing rod. The sidewallfurther including a second end disposed opposite the first tube end thesidewall further comprises a middle portion connecting the first end andthe second end. The second end includes means for attachment to a metalstructure. The middle portion is selected to provide at least oneproperty that differs from the properties of the connector first tubeend and connector second end. For example, the at least one property canbe selected from the group consisting of: stretch, flexibility,strength, failure, transferred stress, and transferred vibration, amongother things.

In another embodiment, a cast concrete assembly is provided, theassembly comprising at least one connector as claimed.

In still another embodiment, a method is provided for joining two metalreinforcement rods, such as for use in a reinforced concrete assembly.In this example, the method includes the steps of, a) providing theconnector of claim 1; b) providing a first metal reinforcement barhaving an exposed terminal end; c) connecting the first end of theconnector of claim 1 to the exposed terminal end of the firstreinforcement rod; d) providing a second reinforcement rod having anexposed terminal end; and c) connecting the second end of the connectorof claim 1 to the exposed terminal end of the second reinforcement rod,thereby forming a secure connection between the first reinforcement rodand the second reinforcement rod. Still other embodiments will beapparent from the description, drawings, and claims herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The ensuing detailed description provides preferred exemplaryembodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability,or configuration of the invention, Rather, the ensuing detaileddescription of the preferred exemplary embodiments will provide thoseskilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing thepreferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. It being understoodthat various changes may be made in the function and arrangement ofelements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,as set forth in the appended claims.

To aid in describing the invention, directional terms may be used in thespecification and claims to describe portions of the present invention(e.g., upper, lower, left, right, etc.). These directional definitionsare merely intended to assist in describing and claiming the inventionand are not intended to limit the invention in any way. In addition,reference numerals that are introduced in the specification inassociation with a drawing figure may be repeated in one or moresubsequent figures without additional description in the specificationin order to provide context for other features. Further, as used herein,“bar” and “rod” include elongate members of any shape or geometricalcross-section, including but not limited to any structural skeletonand/or reinforcing member such as wires, rods, cylinders, angle-iron,having any shaped cross-section taken perpendicular to an elongate axissuch as a longitudinal axis of a rod. It is understood that thepreferred connector embodiments herein include a “tube end” that can beof any shape or size and that preferably generally matches the shape ofa terminal end of a rod so as to permit the tube-end to engage the rodand to secure the rod to said tube end. Moreover, a “tube end” need notcomprise a closed sidewall as illustrated in the preferred embodimentsherein, but may comprise one or more partial sidewall portions thatengage the rod surface, whether by surrounding it or simply providingadequate contact to accomplish the objectives described and claimedherein. Further, if hollow reinforcing rods are provided, the “tube end”may include to sidewall portion adapted to insert into the hollow rod,for example. In this manner, “tube end” is not intended to be limitingof the inventive connectors conceived by the inventor.

Novel connectors, as well as methods of assembly, are provided herein.The connectors and methods overcome the disadvantages of the prior artin many ways.

For example, the connectors provide a uniform apparatus for secure andeasy connection to the butt end of any rebar rod. This feature isaccomplished by providing a butt portion of a connector that slides overthe butt portion of a rebar rod. In some embodiments, the butt portionof the connector includes one or more sidewall openings to allow weldingonto the rebar that is enclosed within the butt portion of theconnector. In this manner, the surface area, of welded contact betweenthe rebar and the connector exceeds the surface area available for theprior art method of welding a plate to the blunt terminal end of rebar.Additionally, this apparatus and method of connection eliminates thepossibility of the connector separating from the rebar in a brittlemanner. In this regard, the connection between the rebar and theconnector is far more stable, durable, and even permanent as compared tothe prior art connections and methods previously described herein.

Another advantage of the apparatus and methods herein involvesreliability, predictability and designed control of the joint assemblybetween two reinforced concrete structures. For example, assuming a verysecure and permanent weld connection between the connector and the buttportion of rebar, the connector provides features that make theconnector and the rest of the joint assembly secure, repeatable, andpredictable under varying stresses and loads. For example, as furtherdescribed herein, the connector includes a faceplate on the end oppositethe tube end to enable a secure connection to a weld plate, or directlyto the faceplate of an opposite connector in another reinforced concreteassembly. The faceplate may include surface features such as recessesand/or raised ridges for positioning and securely engaging a weld plate,beam, opposite connector, or other structure desirably placed adjacentthe faceplate.

Further, assuming a secure connection to rebar on the tube end andconnection of another structure to the faceplate, the connector itselfincludes features to provide for predictable, reliable performance undervarious stresses. For example, the connector in one embodiment includesa middle portion of reduced cross-sectional area joining the tube andthe faceplate end. Preferably, the middle portion has features to meet aselected stress profile. The stress profile is predetermined andselected by a user, and the middle portion is then designed andconstructed to meet that profile. The properties of the middle portionare determined by such factors as materials used, shape, thickness, andlength, among other things. For example, where the connector isfabricated entirely from steel, the middle portion can be designed toinclude a narrowed portion that is more flexible, and/or weaker than thesecure rebar connection or the secure faceplate connection. In thismanner, the middle portion can be designed to stretch, bend, orotherwise adapt to the stresses imparted on the reinforced concretestructure and the joint(s) between that structure and any adjacentstructure. Additionally, and optionally, the connector can include oneor more transition regions between the, tube end and middle portionand/or between the middle portion and the faceplate end. Such transitionregions are designed to provide desirable properties to the connector,such as strength, designed failure, reduction of transferred stress, andstrength, among other things.

The above advantages and features, among others, will be evident fromthe following description and appended drawings, as well as the claims.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-2, a first embodiment of a connector 10is shown. The connector 10 includes a first end referred to as the tubeend 20, and an opposite end referred to as the faceplate end 30, with amiddle portion 40 disposed there between. In this embodiment, theconnector 10 is configured to include a hollow portion as the tube end20, a solid middle portion 40, and a solid faceplate end 30. Preferably,the connector is made of weld-compatible metal or metal alloys to permitattachment to steel rebar by welding, However, in some embodiments, theconnector may include composite materials and can be attached bynon-welding fastening means, such as attachment by adhesives, sonicwelding, or bolting. it should be further understood that any number orarrangement of connectors 10 or other components could be used toprovide desired structural support and designed performance or failurewithin joined structures and assemblies, all within the scope of thisinvention.

Referring back to FIGS. 1-2, the tube end 20 of connector 10 includesfeatures for easy and secure attachment to rebar 100 or otherreinforcing elements used in reinforced concrete or other assemblies. Inthis embodiment, the tube end 20 includes a sidewall 22 that forms acentral conduit 24. The shape and size of the conduit 24 is determinedby the shape and size of the rebar 100 or other reinforcing element thatwill be engaged to the connector 10, and particularly to the tube end 20and sidewall 22. In this example, assuming rebar 100 is generallyrod-like, the conduit 24 is generally cylindrical in shape, and has aninner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of rebar 100.To attach the connector 10 to rebar 100, the tube end 20 is slid overthe butt end of rebar 100 until the depth of conduit 24 is filled by therebar 100, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the tube sidewall 22 includesopenings such as slot 26 to permit a user to apply a weld, adhesive, orother fastener to engage the rebar 100 and the tube sidewall 22. In oneexample, as shown in Fig, 2, a slot weld 130 is applied to the rebar 100through slot 26 until the entire slot 26 is filled. In other examples, auser may drill through the rebar 100 exposed by slot 26, and may inserta bolt, pin, or other fastener to engage the rebar 100 and sidewall 22.In that example, the slot 26 can be sized to match the fastener toprevent any movement of the connector, or alternatively slot 26 can beshaped to allow any selected combination of rotational, axial, or othermovement of connector 10 relative to rebar 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, connector 10 includes a faceplate end 30 disposedopposite tube end 20, with a middle portion 40 connecting tube end 20 tofaceplate end 30. In this example, middle portion 40 is generallycylindrical and solid in cross-section. However, the cross-sectionalshape, thickness, length, and other aspects of middle portion 40 can beselected and fabricated to meet the design requirements of rigidity,flexibility, stretch, strength, designed failure, for each jointconnection within a series of connections in adjacent joined reinforcedstructures.

Optionally, the connector can include one or more transition regions 50between the middle portion 40 and any tube end 20, and/or between themiddle portion 40 and the faceplate end 30. As shown in FIG. 2, a firsttransition region 52 is provided between tube sidewall 22 and middleportion 40. Among other things, the first transition region 52 providesa secure connection to ensure integrity of the connector 10 undervarious stresses. The first transition region 52 further provides theadvantage of allowing for slight stretch along the longitudinal axis A-Aof the connector 10 once encased in concrete, without fracturing theconcrete adjacent region 52. A second transition region 58 is providedon the opposite end of middle portion 40, adjacent faceplate end 30.This region 52 provides advantages similar to that of first transitionregion 52, with the added advantage of permitting a gradual shapetransition and stress flow from middle portion 40 to faceplate end 30.

In the example of FIGS. 1-2, a flange transitional region 56 is providedbetween second transition region 58 and faceplate end 30. This region 56provides advantages similar to that of first transition region 52 andsecond transition region 58, with the added advantage of providing alarge cross-sectional area adjacent the faceplate end 30 to providestrength and initial resistance to bending under stress.

In the example of FIG. 1-2, faceplate end 30 includes a faceplatesurface 32 configured and designed to allow attachment to an adjacentstructure, Preferably, the faceplate surface 32 includes one or moresurface features such as ridge 34 for securely engaging another memberin a structure, such as a weld plate 120. Preferably, the ridge 34 ispositioned, sized, and configured so as to support a weld plate or othermember in a desired position, and to permit easy welding, such as afillet weld 132, fastener, or other permanent attachment between any ofthe ridge 34, surface 32 and weld plate 120 or other adjacent member foreasy, durable assembly in the field.

As shown in the examples of FIGS. 3-5, two or more connectors can bejoined to provide a durable joint between structures, such as reinforcedconcrete structures. The number and arrangement of connectors can bevaried to accomplish a desired result, such as but not limited to,flexibility, rigidity, modularity, geometry, predictable failure, amongother things. In one preferred embodiment, such as that shown in FIG. 3,two connectors 10 are arranged in opposed position so that theirfaceplate ends 30 are in close enough proximity to allow attachment ofthe connectors 10 using a weld plate 120 resting on ridges 34 of eachfaceplate surface 32. A weld 130 is placed to adjoin the weld plate 120to each faceplate surface 32 and optionally to each ridge 34. As shownin FIG. 4, a plurality of connectors 10 can be placed side by side orotherwise in substantially axially aligned orientations to provide forattachment of a structure through multiple joints.

As shown in FIG. 5, a sheath covering 160 can optionally be providedover the middle portion 40 of connector 10. The sheath covering 160 canbe provided for any number of purposes, including but not limited to:corrosion resistance, moisture dispersion, moisture absorption, shockmitigation, and adherence of surrounding concrete, among other things.

As shown in FIG. 6, the use of connectors 10 is particularly adapted touse in interconnecting two large structures, such as concrete reinforcedstructures, and precast concrete assemblies such as double-tee andhollow core floor systems. As shown in this example, the faceplate ends30 may include mating surfaces to allow connectors 10 to be placed inaxial alignment in very close proximity to one another within astructure. In this example, the faceplate ends 30 of adjacent connectorswithin a structure form a substantially continuous row that is exposedfor easy connection of one or more weld plates 120. As shown, eachfaceplate end 30 of each connector 10 is attached to the weld plate 120,such as by welding at one or more of the ridge 34 and the connectionpoint of the faceplate surface 32 and weld plate 120. In this example,or any example involving multiple connectors 10, each connector 10 canbe selected to have particular and desirable properties such asrigidity, strength, stretch, vibration frequency, failure points, amongother things. In this regard, by selecting properties of each connector10 at each location within a structure, the structure can be designed toperform as desired. For example, connector types and locations can beselected by a user to allow greater stretch at one location among joinedstructures versus other locations. The properties of each connector 10therefore impart desired properties to the structures, joints, and/orareas they connect.

Methods of assembly using the connectors 10 are also provided herein.The modular nature of the connectors makes them suitable in anyenvironment where reinforcing rebar or similar reinforcing members areavailable for connection. In one example, a method of connecting tworeinforced concrete structures is provided. A user locates the terminalend of reinforcing bar, such as the exposed end of a rebar rod in areinforced concrete structure. Note that the structure in someembodiments is a skeleton including one or more rebar structures, withat least one end of at least one rebar rod 100 exposed for attachment tothe tube end 20 of a connector 10. The user inserts the tube end 20 overthe rebar end, sliding the rebar end into conduit 24 to a desired depth,preferably to the bottom of the conduit adjacent middle portion 40. Insome other embodiments, the conduit 24 may contain an insert such as ashock absorbing insert, or air or other inert gas. In such embodiments,the assembly may benefit from desired movement of the insert orconnector 10 about the rebar 100.

In other embodiments, the connectors are incorporated by welding to therebar prior to precast operations, followed by casting of the concretearound the rebar and connector assemblies. In this manner, theconnectors are embedded in the precast element, which in turn can beinstalled in a desired location or structure, and then welded to anadjacent assembly having an exposed rebar, connector, or other metalassembly.

In a method of assembly, a user secures the connector 10 onto the rebar100, preferably by performing a slot weld 130 onto the rebar 100 throughslot 26. Alternatively or additionally, one or more fasteners can beused to connect the tube end 20 to the rebar 100 to four a secureconnection. These steps are repeated on rebar 100 at each location wherea joint is desired. Note that the user can select among variousconnectors 10 to provide the desired joint. For example, a user mayselect among connectors of varying length, thickness, rigidity,flexibility, and other properties to provide a joint assembly havingdesired properties.

After securing the tube end 20 to a rebar 100 as described above, theconnector 10 is cast into a precast component. Once the component iscured it is positioned in the structure in a desired position so thateach connector 10 is placed adjacent a location where a joint is desiredbetween or among structures or sub-structures. At each joint location,the user connects the faceplate end 30 to an adjacent structure. Forexample, a weld plate 120 can be placed atop and/or across one or moreridges 34 on faceplate surfaces 32. Next, a user attaches the weld plate120 to each connector faceplate surface 32 and/or ridge 34 using anyappropriate fastening means. By way of non-limiting example, a filletweld 132 may be provided to join the connector 10 to a weld plate 120 orother structure. The exposed opposite end of weld plate 120 is thenconnected to an opposed connector 10 in another structure orsub-structure. This process is repeated until each and every desiredjoint is completed between and among an assembly of structures. Forexample, where the structures are modular precast concrete structures,such as concrete, decking for buildings or parking garages, a series ofpanels can be placed and connected by persons skilled in the art ofconstruction using the connectors and methods described herein.

Example Results. The connectors and methods herein provide excellentinterconnections in reinforced concrete assemblies and structures.Computer aided drafting and computer aided simulations of variousconnectors have been conducted by the inventors. Illustrative results ofsuch simulations are illustrated in FIGS. 7-8.

For example, FIG. 7 illustrates the designed performance of materialsused in reinforcement of concrete building structures. In this example,the strength of rebar, slugs (also known as welding plates) and castingsteel (the preferred embodiment of some connectors of the presentinvention) are illustrated. In particular, the performance of thosethree materials is illustrated. in terms of stress (in ksi, 1000pounds/sq.in.) and strain (in in./in.) units. As shown, rebar ASTM A706generally provides a yield strength of about 60 ksi, and an ultimatestrength of about 80 ksi. A slug (welding plate) ASTM A36, in turn,generally provides a yield strength of about 48 ksi, and an ultimatestrength of about 70 ksi. Lastly, casting steel ASTM A352 LCC generallyprovides a yield strength of about 40 ksi, and an ultimate strength ofabout 70 ksi. As shown in FIG. 8, the strength of a weld, such as afillet weld or slot weld, and a concrete panel, as earlier describedherein, are provided A weld (slot weld or fillet weld) E7018 generallyprovides a yield strength of about 58 ksi, and an ultimate strength ofabout 70 ksi. In turn, a concrete panel generally used in precastconstruction has an elastic modulus of about 4415 psi, a compressivestrength of about 6000 psi, and a Poisson's ratio of about 0.2. All ofthese values assist in calculating the desired properties of a joint ina structure, as well as the failure points within a structure or withina joint. Taking all of these actors into consideration, the inventor hasdesigned a connector with designed properties, such as yield andfailure, as generally illustrated in FIG. 9. As shown, the connector isdesigned to allow its components to yield under stress and strain atpredictable loads, and in a particular order to provide unprecedentedperformance.

By way of further example, the values assist in the design of aconnector 10 having desirable properties that accommodate a designedstrength, rigidity, elasticity, and/or planned failure of a reinforcedstructure joined by any number the connectors and methods describedherein. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the connector in a preferredexample has a middle portion 40 that is, designed to include a regionthat forms the weakest, most elastic, lowest yield, or otherwise failurepoint (herein alternatively designated as a “yield shaft”). In aninstalled connector assembly shown as in FIG. 6, the installation may bedesigned to have as its next failure point (“yield 2”) the anchoragebars or rods, followed by, the faceplate and tube end connections(“yield 3”), with the slug weld between the rod and the tube end beingthe last (or highest) failure point (“yield 4”) in the installedassembly. By altering the composition and properties (such as material,size, diameter, etc.) of materials in any assembly that includes theconnector 10 itself, a joint may be designed to have predictable,controlled failure, such as to allow the joint to stretch beforebreaking, thereby preserving the structure from otherwise higher levelsof damage in earthquakes, among other things.

FIG. 9 illustrates the performance of an exemplary connector installedin a reinforced structure as described herein. This connection ismodeled using the material properties defined in FIG. 7. As shown, theforce-displacement performance of the connector achieves a desired levelof performance under axial force (in kip (1000 lb) shown along the yaxis) as well as an acceptable level of axial displacement (in inchesshown along the X axis) under said force.

FIG. 9 illustrates the designed stress distribution in the connector andits connections under axial loading. The stress distribution shows thatthe high stresses are localized in the middle potion of the connector asdesigned.

By way of further explanation, a precast panel-to-panel dry chordconnection with considerable ductility and predictable strength isrequired for buildings located in moderate and high seismic regions inaccordance with the new proposed diaphragm design methodology. Researchon the conventional dry chord connection and enhanced dry chordconnection (Cao 2006) indicated that welds used between the bars andbetween the faceplates are sensitive to premature yielding and fracture.Those premature weld failure modes were observed again during theevaluation of critical flexure multi-connection, joint under predefineddisplacement histories. Due to these failure modes the chord barstrength is not reliably achieved and the prior art connections failwith limited ductility. An innovative dry chord connection with highductility is desirable, and is developed herein.

In precast concrete diaphragm systems, chord connections are utilized atextreme edges of the diaphragm to resist in-plane diaphragm forcesgenerated during seismic events. This is achieved through a force couplein which the chords provide tension and compression resistance.Conventional construction chord construction is considered “wet” in thatit utilizes a field cast element. These “wets” chords can be fabricatedby creating a reduced section, pour strip, at the edge of the double teepanel in which longitudinal chord bars can be placed and ready mixconcrete is placed. While this “wet” method of construction has beenshown to perform well, it requires the use of field cast concrete. Insome cases the use of field cast concrete can detract from the quality,increase the construction schedule, and raise the cost of the building.

To eliminate the use of field cast concrete in the precast building a“dry” chord detail is required. A dry chord consists of a connectioninstalled in the panel during precast operation. These dry chords arethen interconnected through welding. No cast in-place concrete is usedto complete the anchorage. Although the dry chord connection may easeconstruction schedule and cost, the effectiveness is dependent on theintegrity of a potentially brittle weld. Proper design, of theconnection is critical for ductile response of the diaphragm.

Known current existing dry chord connections consist of bars welded to afaceplate and embedded in a precast double tee (DT) flange. Thefaceplates in adjacent DT flanges are welded using a steel slug to spanthe gap and a weld to create a force path.

Previous research conducted on the pre-topped dry chord connectionsindicated that the, resisting force and deformation capacity are reducedsignificantly due to premature failure of the weld. This sectionprovides a brief background on the issues, identified and the researchconducted. Experimental studies were conducted on conventional bondeddry chord connections (Naito. C., et al. 2006). The test specimen wasfabricated from two #5 bars fillet welded to the exposed face plate andinstalled in the panel prior to precast operations. During erection, around or square solid slug was installed between the adjacent faceplates and welded in place. To prevent the slug from dropping through tothe floor below, the face plate was angled backward at 10-degrees. Aslug of varying size was used in the field with the diameter chosenbased on the gap available between the adjacent tees. The testedconnection contains a 0.75 in round stock with an effective throat of0.2 times the bar diameter in accordance with AWS [AWS 1992].

The performance of the conventional dry chord connection under monotonicand cyclic tension loading cases that the conventional dry chordconnections were not able to attain their design capacity due to thepremature failure of the weld details. In addition due to the bondeddetail the connections were very stiff resulting in limited deformationcapacity under both tension and shear loadings. The various failuremechanisms of the conventional dry chord connection under the tensionand shear demands include yield of the anchorage bars, flexure Ortorsion of the faceplate, fracture of the welds, among other things.

Performance Evaluation of Enhanced Dry Chord Connection. To enhance thestrength and deformation capacity of the connection a finite element(FE) model was developed and a parametric examination of weld detailswas undertaken by Cao (2006). The FE model was verified withexperimental data and used to evaluate the sensitivity of the connectionto geometry variations and changes in the welding details. To developthe intended ductile failure mechanism of anchorage bars, a parametricstudy was conducted to investigate the sensitivity of faceplatethickness, weld cross-section, and weld location. Preliminary designrecommendations based on the evaluation results were proposed to allowthe connection to achieve the desired, failure mechanism. These designrecommendations included the extension of weld length and mechanicaldebonding of anchorage reinforcement bars.

According to the design recommendations, typical examples of enhanceddry carbon chord connection details were developed and evaluatedexperimentally (Naito, C., Rea, R. et al 2007). Various test specimendetails of pre-topped carbon chord connection and stainless chordconnection were tried. Both a stainless steel chord connection and thecarbon steel chord connection were developed in response to the poorperformance of the conventional pre-topped dry chord connection. Bothconnections utilized an unbonded region to enhance the tension ductilityand to allow for shear compliance i.e., shear movement with low forceresistance. The “Carbon” chord was fabricated from ASTM A35 plate andASTM A706 reinforcement. The “Stainless” chord was fabricated from type304 stainless plate, type 316LN reinforcing bar, and 308-16 weldelectrodes, which was used as an alternate to the carbon steel chord inthe regions where corrosion may be a concern. All welds were conductedat room temperature using the SMAW process in accordance with AWSprocedures. The welds were sized to produce failure of the reinforcementpoor to the welds,

The experimental results (Naito, C., Ren, R. et al2007) indicated thatthe enhanced dry chord connections had a better performance than theconventional dry chord connections, the enhanced design of a length ofunbonded region worked effectively to reduce the shear stiffness of theconnection until plate bearing occurs, which allowed shear complianceand increased the shear deformation capacity. However, the connectionsunder most loading cases were root able to achieve their ultimatestrength capacity. This situation was particularly apparent under ashear condition. It was attributed to failure of the connection at thebar-to-faceplate weld.

To improve the strength and ductility capabilities of the enhanced drychord connections, an innovative design concept of ductile dry chordconnection is proposed. This design uses a prefabricated module insteadof a built-up welded detail between the faceplate and rebar. This designavoids potential weld failure issues previously observed. A threedimensional FE model is developed based on the new design concept andanalytical studies are conducted to evaluate the performance and developeffective design details for these connections.

Design Concept. The goal of the dry chord connection design is toachieve a ductile tension response of the anchorage bars. The desiredductile mechanism cannot be formed unless each component of theconnection is designed to maintain the load path without prematurefailure. A typical diaphragm connection consists of anchorage bars,faceplate, slug, and weld components. To ensure that ductile modes offailure occur, a general rule should be followed. Design the connectionto develop a predictable yield mechanism in the targeted yield regionwhile protecting the other components, through over-strength factors,against premature failure. For example, designing the weld, slug,faceplate and anchorage bar to have strength greater than the capacityof the yield shaft will typically provide a ductile connection with apredictable strength. An acceptable hierarchy of strengths isillustrated in FIG. 9.

The objective of the chord connection design is to achieve the targetedyield and ultimate tensile strength capacity while developing a highductility with low cost.

Strength. A modular system with single anchorage rebar was developed,which can be stacked laterally to resist the design loads for particulardiaphragm system. In order to ensure its applicability in both moderateand high seismic regions, an appreciate strength capacity of the modularsystem should be designed. According to industry advices, the yield andultimate strength capacity developed in the single modular system shouldbe in the range of 10-kip to 20-kip.

Ductility. Prior research showed that all of the existing dry chordconnections exhibited a moderate deformability level, which could notmeet the ductile demands of buildings in high seismic zones. Therefore,the new dry chord connector was targeted to fall in the highdeformability category by developing a minimum 0.6 in deformationcapacity (a pair of chord connector). The measurements in FIG. 1(b) areconsistent with this goal, assuming standard tubular elongate steelrebar is used.

Design Detail. The design details of the new dry chord connection arepresented in the figures herein. The design utilizes several specialfeatures to achieve the expected strength and deformation performance.In order to avoid the premature failure of welds located betweenfaceplate and anchorage bars, a standard module system which serves asthe connection piece between faceplate and anchorage bars is usedinstead of conventional weld technique. This piece can be prefabricatedusing cast steel and installed easily. The detail of the cast piece isillustrated in FIG. 1b . The faceplate end 30 serves the same basicconnecting function as a conventional dry chord connection, and isdesigned to support a weld plate (aka “slug plate” or “slug weld” or“slug”) to permit the plate (slug weld) to then connect two chordstogether at joint, such as by welding the faceplate ends 30 to a weldplate 120. The front flange end of the connector (faceplate end 30)including the ridges 34 (as well as tube end 20) are designed to stayelastic when the anchorage bar 100 yields. The yield shaft of the middleportion 40 is designed to yield first and develop ductile deformationcapacity. It is targeted to achieve 90% of its ultimate force capacityat the time when anchorage bar yields. To avoid stress concentration,transition regions 52, 58 are provided when the diameters of theconnector 10 change dramatically. A mechanical debonding can be used inthe front flange transition region 56 and yield shaft middle portion 40to reduce the stiffness and provide shear compliance.

New Connection Layout. A single bar, chord connection is Shown in FIGS.1-2. In this embodiment, the anchorage bar (rebar, 100 shown in FIG. 2)is inserted into the tube end 20 and welded together using slug welds130 performed through the through-holes 26 provided as slotted endregions of the tube sidewall 22. A fillet weld 132 is used between thefaceplate surface 32 and the slug at the weld plate joint to connect twopanels or adjacent structures together. The number of rebar rods 100 andconnectors 10 used in a panel is dependent on the force demands appliedto the diaphragm system. The standard module of casting piece 10 makesit easy and flexible to fabricate and install the chord connection withmultiple bars 100. An example of 3-Bar chord connection embedded in theconcrete panel is as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

Design Details. The dimensions of various pieces shown in FIG. 1b aresized based on the ductile design concept and assume steel as the bar100 and connector 10 material, Such as cast steel or forged and milledsteel. To achieve the strength capacity of design goal shown in FIG. 4,No.5 rebar with yield strength of 60-ksi is recommend to use for design.The low alloy steel ASTM A706 is recommended since it limits chemicalcomposition and carbon equivalent to enhance the weldability of thematerial. The rebar 100 should have a minimum yield strength of 60-ksi,the tensile strength of the rebar should be at least 1.25 times theactual yield strength. The minimum elongation of the rebar 100 is 0.14,The ASTM A615 Grade 60 steel is applicable as well only if the carbonequivalent is limited to 0.55. The anchorage rebar 100 in the designexample of this dissertation research is the ASTM A706 #5 rebar with ayield strength of 60-ksi and tensile strength of 80-ksi, The nominalstrength capacity of the anchorage bar is 18.6-kip.

Cast Modular System, The layout of the cast modular system isillustrated in FIG. 1b . A cast steel material with good ductility isused for design of the modular system, The desired yield strength of themiddle portion 40 is around 40-ksi. There are several cast steelmaterial candidates which have been used in recent buildingconstructions. These options are ASTM A958 grade SC 8630; ASTM A27 grade70-40 and ASTM A352 grade LCC. All of these options have qualificationto meet the yield strength requirement. However, the first two optionsare not recommended due to their high carbon equivalents (>0.55). sincehigh carbon equivalent makes the material tend to have potential weldcracks in heat affected zone according to recent research (Zimpher etal, 2008), The carbon equivalent (CE) of material can be calculated asindicated in the Equation:

$\begin{matrix}{{CE} = {C + \frac{{Mn} + {Si}}{6} + \frac{{Cr} + {Mo} + V}{5} + \frac{{Ni} + {Cu}}{15}}} & {E\text{-}1}\end{matrix}$

The ASTM A352 grade LCC is a good example of material that can be usedfor the connector in a design herein, and especially to explore anddevelop the maximum ductile behavior. The minimum yield strength is40-ksi, the minimum tensile strength is 70-ksi and the maximum tensilestrength is 95-ksi. The elongation should be greater than 0.22. Thesupplementary requirement S23 that restrict. the carbon equivalent ofLCC down to 0.55 should be applied for better weldability. The “skinny”part of the middle portion 40 in the cast modular system is also calleda “yield shaft” because it is designed to yield before an anchorage bar100 under tension load and develop ductile deft oration capacity. Thismiddle portion 40 is expected to achieve 90% of the minimum tensilestrength of cast material when the rebar 100 yields. In an example, amaterial with a yield strength of 40-ksi and tensile strength of 70-ksiis used to form the connector 10. The associated calculated minimumdiameter of a cylindrical the yield shall middle portion 40 is about0.61 in, to develop expected strength capacity, the minimum length ofyield shaft portion 40 needed to develop a 0.3 in deformation capacity(for half of dry chord connection) is determined from elastic-hardeningbilinear material property of cast material. The length of portion 40should therefore be larger than 1.90 in. A length of 4 in and a diameterof 0.62 in are chosen for the yield shaft of the middle portion 40 inthis design example. The yield strength capacity of this portion isaround 12.0-kip and the ultimate strength capacity is 19.0-kip.

To prevent other elements of the connection from failure and ensure thedesired ductility, capacities of other connector 10 components aredesigned to exceed the bar design capacity ΩR_(n), where Ω is theoverstrength factor and R_(n) is the nominal strength capacity of theanchorage bar, which is equal to 18.6-kip for single No.5 anchorage bar100.

To a preferred embodiment, an overstrength factor of is used for thedesign of the connector 10 as a cast modular system, except thetransitional middle portion 40 (aka “skinny” part). The front flange oftransition region 56 has a diameter of 0.86 in. and a fillet with aradius of 0.17 in is used at the end tip of front flange to smooth thestress flow, The length of the front flange transition region 56 is setas equal to the diameter of 0.86 in according to Saint-Venant'sPrinciple. A transition cone region with a length of 0.2 in is used toconnect the yield shaft and front flange, The interior diameter of theopening 24 of tube end 20 is set as 0.75 in, which is able toaccommodate No.5 rebar properly. The minimum exterior diameter of thetube sidewall adjacent the tube end 20 is about 1.1 in based oncalculation. An exterior diameter of 1.2 in and a length of 2.5 in areused for tube in the design. A transition region is used to connect tubeend 20 and the middle portion 40 including the yield shall. The middleportion 40 region can be divided into two parts. One part is atransition region 52 that comprises a solid cylinder with a diameter ofabout 1.2 in and length of 0.25 in, adjacent the tube end 20. The otherpart is a cone region of region 52 with a top diameter is 0.62 in andbottom diameter of 1.2 in to connect the middle portion 40 yield shaftand the solid cylinder of region 52. The length of this part is about0.4 in. These transition regions are used wherever the dimension changesdramatically to avoid stress concentration

Faceplate, The faceplate end 30 can be remade with the modular system.Its strength is computed according to the base metal strength as shownin the Eq. 2:

R _(p) =f _(p) t _(p) L _(p)  Eq.-2

Where L_(p) is the plate length and t_(p) is thickness of the plate.f_(p) is the strength of plate which is equal to 60% of the tensilestrength of plate, 0.6 f_(up), for the fillet weld. The tensile strengthused for faceplate is 70-ksi: same overstrength factor of 1.25 is usedfor faceplate design. The required plate length L_(p) should be largerthan fillet weld 132 length. It is assumed to be 3 in, therefore theminimum thickness should he determined according to the Eq. -3, where∅_(p) is the resistance factor for the faceplate, which is 0.75 forfillet weld 132. The determined minimum faceplate thickness is 0.25 in.A thickness of ⅜ in is used for this design. The faceplate height can beconsidered as half of the panel thickness, which is 2 in. Therefore, adimension of 3×2×⅜ in. is, used for faceplate design.

$\begin{matrix}{t_{p} \geq \frac{\Omega \; R_{n}}{\varnothing_{p}f_{p}L_{p}}} & {{{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} \text{-}}3}\end{matrix}$

Slug. The slug weld is used to connect a pair of dry chord connectors,such as to a weld plate 120, at the joint. Similar to faceplate, theslug, strength is also computed according to the base metal strength asshown in Eq. The material ASTM A36 is recommended for slug plate, theminimum yield strength is 36-ksi and minimum tensile strength is 58-ksi.The elongation should be greater than 0.20. An overstrength factor 1.50is used for slug design. The slug length is assumed to be the same asfaceplate length of 3 in. The required minimum thickness of slugdetermined from Eq.-3 is 0.35 in. A thickness of ⅜ in. is chosen fordesign. The width of slug is assumed as 1.5 in, cross the joint.Therefore, a dimension of 3×1.5×⅜ in. is used for slug design.

Welds. In a preferred embodiment of the mbar to tube weld design. Twoslots are designed on the tube to perform plug welds between rebar andtube. The relative slots location on the tube is illustrated in FIG. 1b. In this design, the two slots are located at the left and right sideof vertical axis with an angle of 60 degree separately. The strengthcapacity of slug weld 130 is computed as the product of the rayingsurface (nominal cross section) and the stress on that area (Eq.-4).

T _(w)=0.75*0.6*F _(EXX) A _(faying)  Eq.-4

An overstrength factor of 1.5 is used for weld design. The electrodeE7018 with a tensile strength of 70-ksi is recommended for weldmaterial. According to the specification in LRFD weld section (AISC2006), a slot width of ⅜ in, is chosen and the minimum required lengthis calculated as 0.89 in. at both sides. The final design chooses a slugweld 130 go through the thickness of cast hibe with a base width of ⅜in. and a length of 1 in. Two semicircular with a diameter of weld widthare required at the two ends. The top width of the slug weld 130 isextended to ½ in, for ease fabrication according to industry advises.

Faceplate to slug weld design. Fillet weld 132 is used to connectfaceplate end 30 and weld plate 120. The electrode E7018 with a tensilestrength of 70-ksi is recommended for weld material. According to thespecification in LRFD weld section (AISC 2006), the required minimumthickness is 3/16 in. For this design, a thickness of ⅜ in, is assumedand overstrength factor of 1.50 is used. The calculated required filletweld length is 1.89 in. A fillet weld length of 3 in. is chosen fordesign. The final design of the fillet weld used is ⅜@3 in. with E7018electrode, The desired location of fillet weld is that the center ofslug is placed in line with the center of other connection componentssuch as faceplate, tube and rebar etc, since no additional flexuraldemand will be generated in the yield shaft based on simple free bodydiaphragm (FBD) analysis.

Vertical eccentricity often occurs when the slug is improperly placed inthe field. This weld offset produces additional tension demand on allthe components of connector due to the generation of flexure. Theadditional tension has the potential to initiate premature fracture ofthe connector 10 at a tension demand less than ultimate capacity. Thesensitivity of connector performance to the offset will be evaluatedthrough the FE analysis. To avoid significant offset of weld location infield work, two ridges 34 prefabricated with the faceplate end 30 andplaced on faceplate surface 32 are preferred to locate the slug weldplate in the acceptable position.

The goal of new dry chord connection strength capacity is in the rangeof 10-kip to 20-kip, and the design goal of connection deformationcapacity is in HDE category with at least 0.6 in. for a connection pair.The dimensions of an example new dry chord connection are presentedpreviously herein. Based on the design detail of this example, theexpected performance is that the yield shaft yields first before rebaryield, the strength of yield shaft is close to 90% of its ultimatestrength when the rebar yield, and the connection failed by the failureof yield shaft. The faceplate, tube, slug and welds are in elastic,region when the failure occurs. The expected yield strength capacity is12.0-kip and the expected ultimate strength capacity is 19.0-kip. At thetime when the rebar yields, the total strain developed in the yieldshaft is about 0.15. Therefore a 0.6 in. deformation capacity isexpected to develop in the 4 in. length yield shaft for half of aconnection pair.

As discussed previously, the ideal position will be the center of slugis in line with the center of standard modular system based on simplyfree body diaphragm (FBD) analysis. However, the results of FE analysisshow that adding vertical eccentricity between the slug and theanchorage bar does not necessarily initiate premature failure.

The performance of connector assembly which includes rebar, standardmodular system, fillet weld and slug in all of the cases at a same timestep during loading is shown in FIG. 9. Both deformed shape andundeformed shape are shown for comparison. A deformation scale factor of100 is used in all of the cases for better illustration. It is notedthat concrete panel is also analyzed with the connector, however theperformance of the concrete panel is not shown here due to thedeformation of connector is limited in the gap between yield shall andconcrete panel. The results show that adding vertical eccentricitybetween the slug and the anchorage bar causes flexural moment in theanchorage bar, which can be illustrated by the stress distributions ofanchorage bar in all of the cases. No flexural stress caused in theanchorage bar for the first case while the case 4 has the highestflexural stress in the rebar. This effect is not significant though.However, the performance of standard modular system is not controlled bythis mode because of its high ductility. For the local modular system,the performance of yield shaft is controlled by deforming of faceplate,in the first case, the rotation of faceplate is largest, which cause themaximum flexural deformation in the yield shaft. While in the case 4,the rotation of faceplate is smallest, in turn developing minimumflexural deformation in the yield shaft.

Since the design of the new dry chord connection is to develop yieldingand plastic deformation in the yield shaft instead of anchorage bar asin the conventional chord connection, therefore the performance of localcomponents should be evaluated carefully by using FEM techniques.

The nonlinear load-displacement analyses, including both materialinelasticity and contact behavior, are conducted to evaluate theperformance of new developed dry chord connection.

Analytical Tension Behavior. In precast diaphragm systems, chordelements are used at the ends of the DT members to resist flexuralin-plane demands. Therefore, the strength and deformation capacities ofchord connector under tension load are critical criteria to evaluate theconnector. As discussed, the connector performance under tensile loadingmay be affected by the vertical location of faceplate-to-slug weld. Theideal position will be the center of slug is in line with the center ofstandard modular system based on simply free body diaphragm (FBD)analysis. However, the actual connector behavior is complex whensubjected to incremental tensile loading and may not be well representedby the simple FBD analysis. Hence the performance of new dry chordconnector subjected to uniform tensile loading is analyzed using, the FEmodel described herein.

In addition, the connector behavior may be sensitive to the verticalweld offset due to the design involves a very flexible and thin portion“yield shaft”. To develop the intended tensile mechanism of yield shaft,a parametric study is conducted with the goal of minimizing flexure andmaximizing ductility in the yield portion of standard casting modularsystem. In FIG. 10, the sensitivity of faceplate-to-slug weld platelocation is investigated. The weld location alters the deformationdemands on the connection component& To illustrate this effect,connection performance of four cases with different weld locations areexamined. The center of faceplate is line with the center of slug incase 1, the vertical offset in downside direction is 0.1 in. for case 2,considering the location in case 1 is the reference location. The centerof faceplate in case 3 is in line with the bottom of weld, which meansthe vertical offset in downside direction is 3/16 in. The center offaceplate in case 4 is in line with the center of faceplate-to-slugweld, which means the vertical offset in downside direction is ⅜ in. Thevertical location of faceplate-to-slug weld for each case is illustratedin FIG. 11. The nonlinear load-displacement analyses, including bothmaterial inelasticity and contact behavior, are conducted to evaluatethe performance of new developed dry chord connection.

Analytical Tension Behavior. In precast diaphragm systems, chordelements are used at the ends of the DT members to resist flexuralin-plane demands. Therefore, the strength and deformation capacities ofchord connector under tension load are critical criteria to evaluate theconnector. As discussed, the connector performance under tensile loadingmay be affected by the vertical location of faceplate-to-slug weld. Theideal position will be the, center of slug is in line with the center ofstandard modular system based on simply free body diaphragm (FBD)analysis. However, the actual connector behavior is complex whensubjected to incremental tensile loading and may not be well representedby the simple FBD analysis. Hence the performance of new dry chordconnector subjected to uniform tensile loading is analyzed using the FEmodel described herein. In addition, the connector behavior may besensitive to the vertical weld offset due to the design involves a veryflexible and thin portion “yield shaft”. To develop the intended tensilemechanism of yield shaft, a parametric study is conducted with the goalof minimizing flexure and maximizing ductility in the yield portion ofstandard casting modular system. The sensitivity of faceplate-to-slugweld location is investigated herein.

The weld location alters the deformation demands on the connectioncomponents. To illustrate this effect, connection performance of fourcases with different weld locations are examined. The center offaceplate is line with the center of slug in case 1, the vertical offsetin downside direction is 0.1 in for case 2, considering the location incase 1 is the reference location. The center of faceplate in case 3 isin line with the bottom of weld, which means the vertical offset indownside direction is 3/16 in. The center of faceplate in case 4 is inline with the center of faceplate-to-slug weld, which means the verticaloffset in downside direction is ⅜ in. The nonlinear load-displacementanalyses, including both material inelasticity and contact behavior,were conducted to evaluate the performance of new developed dry chordconnection.

Analytical Tension Behavior. In precast diaphragm systems, chordelements are used at the ends of the DT members to resist flexuralin-plane demands. Therefore, the strength and deformation capacities ofchord connector under tension load are critical criteria to evaluate theconnector. As discussed herein, the connector performance under tensileloading may be affected b the vertical location of faceplate-to-slugweld. The ideal position will be the center of slug is in line with thecenter of standard modular system based on simply free body diaphragm(FBD) analysis. However, the actual connector behavior is complex whensubjected to incremental tensile loading and may not be well representedby the simple FBD analysis. Hence the performance of new dry chordconnector subjected to uniform tensile loading is analyzed using the FEmodel described herein. In addition, the connector behavior may besensitive to the vertical weld offset due to the design involves a veryflexible and thin portion “yield shall”. To develop the intended tensilemechanism of yield shaft, a parametric study is conducted with the goalof minimizing flexure and maximizing ductility in the yield, portion ofstandard casting modular system. The sensitivity of faceplate-to-slugweld location is investigated.

The weld location alters the deformation demands on the connectioncomponents. To illustrate this effect, connection performance of fourcases with different weld locations are examined, The center offaceplate is line with the center of slug in case 1, the vertical offsetin downside direction is 0.1 in for case 2, considering the location incase is the reference location. The center of faceplate in easel is inline with the bottom of weld, which means the vertical offset indownside direction is 3/16 in. The center of faceplate in case 4 is inline with the center of faceplate-to-slug weld, which means the verticaloffset in downside direction is ⅜ in.

On the basis of the studies herein, and analytical investigation of thenew developed dry chord connection, the following conclusions can bemade. Known conventional dry chord connections are unable to attain adesired earthquake load and capacity due to several factors, includingthe premature failure of the weld details. The bonded detail resulted ina limited deformation capacity. The improved dry chord connectiondisclosed herein exhibits a better ductility than conventional chordconnection by introducing a length of unbonded region. However, thedesired ductile failure mechanism is not achieved due to failure ofbar-to-faceplate weld. A ductile design concept is used to developductile mechanism in the connector through overstrength factors. Astandard casting modular system which serves as the connection piecebetween faceplate and anchorage bars is used instead of conventionalweld technique to avoid premature bar-to-faceplate weld failure. 3Dfinite element modeling can be used to simulate the new developed drychord connection subjected to in-plane tension demands. Accuratemodeling techniques involve appropriate constitutive models of theconnection components. Steel behavior modeled using Von Mises yieldcriteria and the interface relation modeled with surface-to-surfacecontact behavior can identify the chord connection tensioncharacteristics. The actual response of various components of the newdeveloped dry chord connector is complex and cannot be accuratelypredicted by the simple FBD analysis. Stress concentration anddistribution of faceplate, yield shall, faceplate-to-slug weld and slugis sensitive to the vertical weld location. The local performance ofthese components can be improved as the vertical offset increases in thedownside direction. The behavior of anchorage bar and plug weld is notsensitive to the vertical weld location. The global load-deformationrelationship of the new dry chord connector is not sensitive to the weldlocation as long as it is located in an appropriate region. With theappropriate weld locations, the expected strength and deformationcapacities could be achieved.

Further, based on the analytical studies, the following recommendationson the new dry chord connection design are made. 1) A bearing pad aroundfaceplate is recommended to use in order to reduce the bearing stressconcentration in the concrete panel and faceplate. 2) Thefaceplate-so-slug weld is better to be sized by considering additionalflexural demands caused by eccentricity of load applied to theconnection. 3) The center of faceplate-to-slug weld is recommended to belocated in line with the center of faceplate to achieve a desiredconnection performance. 4) An allowable offset of fillet weld in fieldconstruction is (0.1 in, ⅜ in) in from the center of faceplate to thecenter of slug when moving the weld in the downward direction.

While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with preferred embodiments, it is to be clearly understoodthat this description is made only by way of example and not as alimitation of the scope of the invention.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A connector system comprising: at least one rodconnector piece configured to at least partially overlap with a terminalend of a rod, wherein the at least one rod connector piece is configuredto be secured to the terminal end of the rod via a fastening means; atleast one plate connector piece configured to be secured to anotherplate connector piece; and at least one middle connector piece joiningthe at least one rod connector piece to the at least one plate connectorpiece.
 22. The connector system of claim 21, wherein the at least onerod connector piece is welded to the terminal end of the rod.
 23. Theconnector system of claim 21, wherein the at least one rod connectorpiece is secured to the terminal end of the rod using non-weldingfastening means.
 24. The connector system of claim 23, wherein the atleast one rod connector piece is adhered to the terminal end of the rod.25. The connector system of claim 23, wherein the at least one rodconnector piece is bolted to the terminal end of the rod.
 26. Theconnector system of claim 21, wherein the at least one middle connectorpiece comprises at least one property that differs from the propertiesof the at least one rod connector piece and the at least one plateconnector piece, the at least one property selected from the groupconsisting of: stretch, flexibility, strength, failure point,transferred stress, and transferred vibration.
 27. The connector systemof claim 21, wherein the at least one middle connector piece is weldedto the at least one rod connector piece and the at least one plateconnector piece.